The Forrest City times., 1887-11-12

trust us, perhaps. lest we should, nnd- Ing out the theft try to punish the thief. We should not. We are quite content; but wei long to know the truth. Everything that you say shall be sac- red"
 Mrs. Grey folded her hands meokly.
 VI have nothing to say," she replied. "You must think Of me as you will"
 To her surprise something like smile came over the lovely young face of the duchess. She had expected anger, but there was none.
 "fou refuse to tell me how tho locket came into your hands 2" she asked.
 ''I must refuse" said Mrs. Grey.
 "You will not pleaded guilty and never made any effort to save your selfg'
 Il ean not tell you or would," Was are answer.
 "You will not tell me either, why you cherished this portrait-wby you hid 1t away and betrayed such violent agitation when it was foundr'
 'I can not" was the half-whispered answer.
 The duchess smiled again.
 suppose" she said, "I know-that although you refuse to tell me, guess tho mysteryY'
 "It could not be-" replied Mrs Grey
 But 1t is," said the duchess. "You have kept your secret well, but l know who you are."
 Even she was frightened at the ex- pression of Mrs. Grey's face. She drew back from her slowly, repeating with white, quivering lips the words:
 "You know who amp
 "Yes,n said the duchess. "You came to Clevering disguised. understand the reason, and l understand the mystery"
 It was dreadful, gastly terror that came over Mrs. Grey's face-terror so acute and painful that the duchess in turn shrunk from her.
 "My dear mother," she said, "had a maid, and this maid's name was Phoebe Askern, On the fatal evening, when my mother went to London, that maid disappeared. Whether she went with my mother and was killed, no one knew. The general impression was that she ran away, taking money and jewels with her. Do you think that is true."
 "I-how should knows' she answer ed; a crimson flush covering her pale face.
 "You are the very one person in the whole world to know," said the duch- ess.
 "I-why should you say that? why should know?n
 "Because," said the duchess, with another smile, laying her hands on the trembling hands of Mrs. Grey-"be- cause, If my surmise be correct, you are my mothers maid, Phoebe Askern her self"
 1T. your mothers maid Oh, no! a thousand times no! !' cried Mrs. Grey; then she paused abruptly. If she wished to keep her cherished secret, would not her best plan be silence?
 "You need not be afraid" said the duchess; "if you are. and indeed feel sure you are Phoebe Askern, you have nothing to fear; if you were strongly tempted, and did take anything that belonged to my mother, for her dear sake all shall be forgiven and forgot- ten."
 "I am not Phoebe Askern," said Mrs. Grey.
 You may not be now; you are per haps Phoebe Grey, but you were PhGbe Askera once, everything goes to prove it. My father says that this poor Phpce was a tall, fair woman. with fair. evidently your hair is fair, but you darkened it when you came to Claver- ing, just as you darkened your brows and your beautiful face. l might well be puzzled when 1 saw you. For my mothers sake. tell me the truth"
 "Give mo time, time to think" she cried; my brain is on fire"
 The Duchess of Meath will never forget the hali-graceful, half-despairing gestule with which she turned to the wall and laid her face against 1t. Time TO think; yet how could she think with her heart On fire and her brain whirling; how could she think calmly with that beautiful face watch ing her 80 eagerly" That such an idea should enter her daughters head that she was Phoebe Askern, how near, yet how far from the truth they were. Phebe Askern, the faithful maid who lay dead in the vaults at Cliffe.
 She tried to think what would hap pen if she denied that she was Pheb e Askern. They would, in all probabili- ty, persevere in their inquiries until, in ome way or other, they caught q glimpse of her secret, and then the sacrifice of so many years would be all in vain: her daughter would know that she had fled from home because she was threatened with the divorce court shame and sorrow would follow her. She would bring the shadow of dis grace over the brilliant young duchess, who had been so kind to her. No-a thousand times no. If she allowed them to believe Phoebe Askern, and that she had sto CT the locket-knowing as they did that Lady Stair had gone away with il round her neck-they could come to no other conclusion than that she had hartlessly robbed the dead woman They would persist in asking her all linds of nnns. .inns-nnestinn that she